Edition 53, January/February 2008

Further changes to New South Wales' asbestos laws

New South Wales has introduced the second of two stages of amendments to reduce the limits requiring a licence to remove or disturb bonded asbestos.

The amendments, previously mentioned in the July 2007 edition of Licensing Line News, have been designed to improve the management of workplace safety for those who work with asbestos.

The first stage of amendments took effect from 1 July 2007 and reduced the limit from 200 square metres to 50 square metres. From 1 January 2008, this limit has been further reduced to 10 square metres.

This means that work involving the removal of 10 square metres or more of bonded asbestos material will need to be performed by appropriately licensed operators. Consequently, some people who were not previously required to hold a licence to remove bonded asbestos may now need to obtain a licence from WorkCover NSW.

Applicants for a licence will be required to undertake appropriate supervisory training at a TAFE college or a registered training organisation. They must also:

  • have experience in asbestos removal or demolition
  • be at least 18 years of age
  • be assessed by WorkCover as 'a fit and proper person'.

A licence to remove bonded asbestos costs $100.

For more information visit www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

This page was generated on 12 January, 2010

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